Stories

A typical one-week before Christmas is on my day. A lovely Saturday in a very busy metropolis in an eastern side of Saudi Arabia; Dammam. I have bought some grocery items this morning in order to sustain my life in a not so big apartment that houses me for two years now. Yes two years and counting that I am living here in the Kingdom. I have survived and somehow enjoyed the little and big surprises that are coming on our way everyday. From the different food to the exotic places here that we have tasted and traveled respectively I can now say that this place is my second home, for now.   With this time and the next year, 2016, is just around the corner, I have a choice to reflect and see the perspectives that I have been through the years especially that crucial two-year stay here in Saudi Arabia. I am still here and I am not aware or does not know that in the near future I will be settling in my native country. As long as this country is accepting us and our services and ski...

I have watched last night a boring film yet so good. The title of the movie is “The Girl In The Book”. It is not so good but somehow get my soul hooked and think for a while that I must have a good reflection of what has happened this year. And eventually what to look up for in the coming year. This year 2015 marks some of the major losses in my life. My sister died as well as my second grandfather. It has left a huge emptiness in our hearts and I really do not know what to do in those times of shock and grief. However through times I am beginning to accept the reality that death is one of the pre-requisite of being alive. Everyone will die eventually. And so for this next year I will do my best here in abroad to have a good future. I will indulge myself in work since I really need it as a source of income as well as therapy to pass the time of grief and sorrows. I will do my best to help others in order to fulfill my dreams as well as theirs too. I will try to...

It is about 14 long years of staying away from us. It is about missing my sister who flew to the US way back in 2001 together with her family to try their luck there. Through ups and downs and rough and easy rides my sister came out alive and very well. It is not a battle to live abroad but a "war" that no one is prepared for. And she survived. At around 12 am this morning Ate Michele officially landed in the Philippines and about 30 minutes later I have called her and her voice stayed the same as usual. Though I am here in Saudi Arabia and will not actually experience the joy of reuniting all of us children of Inay and Tatay I am very happy now that somehow somewhere we are one children of our parents. Though we are all adults now. We are still children in Inay's eyes and to my sisters and brother I am still and forever be their bunso. Again welcome home Ate Michele!

Thanks to Adel that he has a driving license and we rented car and we are exploring some of the beauties of Dammam and beyond!

Thanks  to some sale bonanza here in some malls in Khobar a few months ago that I have five pairs of new shoes for my pamangkins..the problem is BOC..OH my God baka pagdating ( balak ko sa balikbayan box) eh kulang kulang na..or if I will bring it on my flight - chances are BOC in NAIA might give them tax..BOC talaga sobrang lacoste!

Just merely looking at the nature's way..there is always hope just by breathing..there is always hope.. just by opening every morning..there is hope.. And thanks God by giving me those hopes..I hope others can see it too!

I  am looking for some good photos of mine for this year  and I have got this one. I do not know why I cannot upload some downloaded photos from google. A privacy issue maybe. It has been a while since I am not writing here. I do not know why I have stopped for a while. Writer's block? I think so or am I running out of ideas? Am I too busy at work? I guess not. I just want to stop. And wonder about everything. And now I am writing once again. Life here in Saudi Arabia is quite good though boring sometimes. Thanks to the malls and restaurants that made our life somehow easier and nearer to our home. However before we can go to our favorite hang-outs here we must take a bus or taxi. We prefer taxi and we have learned a lot. I have learned a lot from honest talks to some drivers that I have been with. Most of the time I go to Khobar on a taxi. I always prefer a Bangladeshi driver for some reasons. They are good in English and should I say safe and honest. Other taxi driver a...

I am here in the Kingdom for almost two years and part of the day to day routine is of course working in the office and staying here in my house. And during those times thanks to a fast internet connection. Thanks to Facebook and other sites that make my life easier and enjoyable. In Facebook I could browse and see whatever new news and latest reports around the globe. I can also see and watch video of the latest evening replay of my favorite newcasts. And yes I could see some photos uploaded by my friends. I can know that my friends and friends of friends got married. I can see also their activities that usually the basic eating and outing and posted those pictures for the world to see. And vice versa I am doing the same. I can know who's house has been renovated or got some new house at a very classy subdivision. I can know now who got a new car and they took photo of its blessings. Facebook really knows all. Good and bad thing for us. Good in a sense that we are part of this...

And they say goodbyes... Till we meet again.. My room-mate Jops..a year ago.. Duan and Cocoy..several months ago.. Jeff Tolsa..Then Noel and the last is Zander.. thanks for all the time we spent together..in this desert..in this land.. every reason..every purpose..has its own place..under the sun..under the heaven.. but for us left here..our struggle continues..though we are still in the midst of thinking.. of choosing the best for us.. we know we could continue..to cherish..to live..and work..for our family..for ourselves.. life must go on..now..

A couple of weeks ago..I went to one of my favorite spot of Dammam. A secret place where I can wonder and walk and feel like I am at home. And somehow I am at home. The sea breeze. The colder wind in the summer heat of Saudi Arabia somehow is on this place. And I spend some time there. Reflecting on the sunset. On the boats. On the family gathered together to see a wonderful creation of God. Nature. A nature in the bustling city. A quite place in a noisy metropolis. I asked. I answered. And I walked. I took some photos. Memories are made of these. Go west as the voice told me.

If I am not mistaken I have this conversation with a taxi driver three nights ago. I was going home from a short visit to Khobar. It was a night of doing nothing but eat at whatever Filipino resto in Khobar. And because I want to sleep early that night I did not indulged myself in having much time in Khobar. And I rode a taxi. After a minute I spoke to an older taxi driver. Along the conversation he said he is in his 60. And he spend 8 years in Saudi doing that job. And I was his last passenger before his retirement. That night he said that by tomorrow he will fly to Lahore Pakistan. I felt some jealousy. I felt that I was happy for him. Along the 25 minute drive he summarized what he has been through before his retirement. He was a train driver before in Pakistan. Then he retired there and tried his luck in KSA. And now he is retiring for real. He will help his 3rd son in running his motor/spare parts business. I could see in his face the hidden pride. The hidden joy that after al...

Kagabi at noong nakaraang gabi eh bumili ako ng produkto. Tangina parang tunay ah. Ok let's try it again. Parang mike test lang. Nung nakaraang gabi at kagabi I have bought some products dito sa malapit na mall sa may amin. ( Taglish) muna ang style ko at parang sawa na ako sa puro tagalog or purong english. Variation kumbaga. So balik tayo sa binili ko nung mga nakaraan gabi sa may Aldanah mall. Bumili ako ng tatlong puting piraso ng Hanes para pang ilalim sa aking uniform. Dati sa aking pinanggalingang kompanya libre it. I love Keilco! Bumili rin ako ng may kulay para pang araw araw at sobrang humid at init na dito sa Dammam. Nakakwentuhan ko ang nagbebenta. Isa siyang matandang Eqyptian pero hindi mukang Eqyptian. Malaking tao at para siyan Indiano na Pinoy na basta hindi sya mukang taga Ehipto. At mabait syang makipag usap. Pero kokonte ang alam nyang english wala naman akong alam na arabic kaya minsan nakakatuwang pagmasdan ang excitement nya pag nakakabigkas ng wikang englis...

Tomorrow will be my birthday. My second birthday in Dammam. Thanks be to God for giving me all the blessings and opportunities to be part of HIS grand plan! Again tomorrow, another year will be added to my age. But who cares? As long as I am living to the fullest and giving whatever I have to those people in need, so I am very happy!

Take time to take a nap. then wake up to this scene. a profound calling. a glimpse of what we want. nothing is there? there will always be something there. Take time to relax. to get what you want. even if you are not doing something. think. imagine. explore. I want this life. to go back. in its simple form. no internet? I don't know. just no noise please!

You might be the luckiest but with hard-works and intelligence you have made it! You are indeed a survivor and again congrats and by leaving the same company that we have shared a few years back, I can say that the eagle in you has landed a better place. Much better. So for your next journey in career and life may God bless you and keep your feet on the ground and never forget the people and circumstances that somehow conspire to get you where you are and where you will be heading for! I can't wait for December for a real conversation maybe in Greenbelt, in Singapore or in US wherever is applicable hahahaha!

This photo was taken last December in Ilocos. Thank you for my DSLR for this awesome picture. And though I am able to take some breath-taking view in the Philippines I am indeed very grateful to have my two good cameras to capture those moments. Thank you. Sometimes in times of loneliness, of sorrow and somehow hopeless cases all we can do is to say "Thank You". Thanks God for all these times that we are alive. Though it is so simple and so common, sometimes we really neglect and forget to say it even in our thoughts because we are so busy noticing other things. So now even though I am busy I will offer these "thank you's" to someone(s) that deserve it now. 1. My parents - Inay and Tatay - all of my grandparents 2. Brothers and sisters- though we seldom see each other because we are all have family of our own our blood bonding will never be separated. 3. Long lost friends - they are those treasured high school friends, elementary years friends and n...

Just an interruption. Or is it the weather already? The temperature here in Dammam is rising even at night. Our aircon is doing almost a 24-hour service in our room. My coffee is very hot or just blending with the weather. Sometimes I have to wake up thinking just nothing. Doing nothing. Just staring at the ceiling but my eyes cannot go back to sleep. Maybe later. Some distractions mostly social media are all in the tip of my hands. I need to go away from the noise. I need to cleanse my digital life. Time to go offline? I hope so!

Lately I am not into blogging. I have those days of doing just nothing but sleep or just watching my favorite and latest TV series via live streaming. Sometimes writing seems so far away. Until today. After some weeks of "busy" as they said it because of the turn-over of the plant to us, it seems that normal days are here again. I can shoot photos and write blogs again. But one thing is making it a little harder. The private messaging/chat apps. Name it. Facebook Messenger, Whatsapp, Line, Skype, Tango, Twitter, IMO, Kik and others are just some of the many popular messaging/video/chat apps in my smartphone.  And yes my YM - the very originator of them all - Yahoo Messenger is still alive and kicking. I remember about 8 years ago everytime I open my computer the very first thing to do is not opening my email but my YM. Then it somehow disappear because of Facebook then after digging and reopening it I found that most of the people abandoned YM but still there are so many ...

Yes sometimes I am not in the mood for writing. Yes sometimes I just want to sleep all day. Yes sometimes I just want to go online forever. And sometimes just let it all go. Just like  before. Bored of something. Of writing. Of blogging. Until once in awhile I am waking up. With my hand craving for writing. This is one of those times.

My good friend Christian when we ate at Dencio's in Bauan..good for Bauan they have this restaurant and Bo's Coffee too! Of course with Inay at Max's in P. Burgos.. With my cousin JB! with us also were my cousins Heidi and her husband Jay..a night of fun and dancing at Euphoria last December.. And with my colleague in Keilco - Harry..and he might say "I love Keilco" too.. A sign that he might be leaving for a greener pasture somewhere else..I know Harry will be there at the corporate world of Makati in another company - much bigger company! German sounds? ahahahaha!! Again congrats and goodluck! Kitakits na lang sa Greenbelt on December!

Wednesday. A minute just before the safest place on earth. And we were robbed. Of time. Of resources. Lots of fear. Of hopelessness. And it was reported. Bureaucracy. A different justice. Not karma. But waiting. But still fearing to go out. Being robbed.

I am watching now a youtube video about "loving your work" and the speaker has just said about "run by the numbers" or our world is run by the numbers. And it is exactly true. We wake up at 5 am and our time is up at about 6 to be able to ride the bus or our own vehicle to our workplace. At about 10 minutes of our work we crunched the time in order to have that coffee while reading our junks of emails. And somehow we lost about an hour. Slave by the numbers. Sales people are like that. Quotas. Prices. Sales. And their life is determined by how many "values" or price they have add up to the company. And so are we. We define our life when we are "in progress" when we can afford such kind of house worth something of a number. We pride ourselves as successful when we have investments of suck kind of value. But in the end we are slaves of numbers. Of getting most of the life and not thinking that somehow or definitely those are meaningless unles...

I will never forgive myself if my visit for a vacation in the Philippines, I will not eat lomi at MGM..and I just did..fabulous noodles in which a truly Batangueno blood will only understand!